May 8 2025

First reading Acts 8:26-40

Philip baptizes a eunuch

The angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, ‘Be ready to set out at noon along the road that goes from Jerusalem down to Gaza, the desert road.’ So he set off on his journey. Now it happened that an Ethiopian had been on pilgrimage to Jerusalem; he was a eunuch and an officer at the court of the kandake, or queen, of Ethiopia, and was in fact her chief treasurer. He was now on his way home; and as he sat in his chariot he was reading the prophet Isaiah. The Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go up and meet that chariot.’ When Philip ran up, he heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ ‘How can I’ he replied ‘unless I have someone to guide me?’ So he invited Philip to get in and sit by his side. Now the passage of scripture he was reading was this:

Like a sheep that is led to the slaughter-house,

like a lamb that is dumb in front of its shearers,

like these he never opens his mouth.

He has been humiliated and has no one to defend him.

Who will ever talk about his descendants,

since his life on earth has been cut short!

The eunuch turned to Philip and said, ‘Tell me, is the prophet referring to himself or someone else?’ Starting, therefore, with this text of scripture Philip proceeded to explain the Good News of Jesus to him.

Further along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, ‘Look, there is some water here; is there anything to stop me being baptised?’ He ordered the chariot to stop, then Philip and the eunuch both went down into the water and Philip baptised him. But after they had come up out of the water again Philip was taken away by the Spirit of the Lord, and the eunuch never saw him again but went on his way rejoicing. Philip found that he had reached Azotus and continued his journey proclaiming the Good News in every town as far as Caesarea.

Responsorial Psalm 65(66):8-9,16-17,20

Cry out with joy to God, all the earth.

Alleluia!

O peoples, bless our God,

let the voice of his praise resound,

of the God who gave life to our souls

and kept our feet from stumbling.

Cry out with joy to God, all the earth.

Alleluia!

Come and hear, all who fear God.

I will tell what he did for my soul:

to him I cried aloud,

with high praise ready on my tongue.

Cry out with joy to God, all the earth.

Alleluia!

Blessed be God

who did not reject my prayer

nor withhold his love from me.

Cry out with joy to God, all the earth.

Alleluia!

Gospel John 6:44-51

I am the living bread which has come down from heaven

Jesus said to the crowd:

‘No one can come to me

unless he is drawn by the Father who sent me,

and I will raise him up at the last day.

It is written in the prophets:

They will all be taught by God,

and to hear the teaching of the Father,

and learn from it,

is to come to me.

Not that anybody has seen the Father,

except the one who comes from God:

he has seen the Father.

I tell you most solemnly,

everybody who believes has eternal life.

‘I am the bread of life.

Your fathers ate the manna in the desert

and they are dead;

but this is the bread that comes down from heaven,

so that a man may eat it and not die.

I am the living bread which has come down from heaven.

Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever;

and the bread that I shall give is my flesh,

for the life of the world.’

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Living the mission

The first reading speaks of Philip’s encounter with an Ethiopian eunuch, struggling to understand the Prophet Isaiah’s words about a sheep being led to slaughter. He resonated with these words, which expressed fragility, suffering, and vulnerability. Guided by the Holy Spirit, Philip began to speak to him about Jesus as the fulfilment of the words of the Prophet Isaiah. The eunuch was so captivated by the person of Jesus that he asked to be baptised so that he could also follow Him. He asked Philip, “Is there anything to stop me from being baptised?” The question challenges us to ask ourselves: “Is there anything to stop me from living out as Jesus’ disciple, from being a bridge to connect others to God?” The answer is nothing- there is nothing that should hold us back. Let us allow the Holy Spirit to guide us today as we take steps to partner with Jesus in mission, just like Philip did.

“I am the living bread which has come down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever” (The gospel). We are meant to live beyond this temporal world and to be with God the Father for eternity. This is the greatest gift we can offer when we lead people to know and love Jesus, who is the source of eternal life.

Reflective question:
What prevents me from living and sharing the good news?

Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year C” by Sr Maria Jose FMVD.